A CROWN Court judge has blasted the cold-blooded treachery of an insurance adviser who pocketed more than £13,000 from his employers.

Judge Lord Elystan Morgan jailed Jason Bullen, who has a five-year-old son, for nine months and said it was a serious breach of trust.

Single parent Bullen, 32, of Wallasey, stole £7,000 from Deeside Insurance Brokers and fiddled the books to cover his tracks.

He also stole more than £6,000 paid in by a commercial client, an Indian restaurant.

At Mold Crown Court, he admitted two theft charges and false accounting between April 2001 and June 2004.

Discrepancies were discovered when Bullen was on leave and, when confronted, he admitted taking money every month. He resigned and, following a detailed audit, the firm realised the scale of the thefts and called the police in September last year.

Bullen had been responsible for 1,500 commercial clients and had previously been internally disciplined because of the quality of his work.

But the company was suspicious that there were discrepancies, further reviews were carried out and, when he was on leave, a senior manager undertook his work.

He found discrepancies between payment records of customers and the insurance company's receipt books, said prosecutor Karen Dixon.

He said Bullen had been taking money up to six times a month.

Bullen tendered his resignation in July last year and promised to return the £3,000 which he said he had stolen, but never did.

The police were called on September 20 last year and it also emerged Bullen had persuaded the owner of a restaurant, which had a large number of policies with the company, to leave the cheques blank.

Defending, Julie McNeill said Bullen had co-operated fully and had made frank admissions.

Bullen had the sole custody of a child and the money he had taken had been spent on general living expenses, not luxurious items.

She said that Bullen was a man of previous good character who was ashamed by what he had done.

The court heard the family would make arrangements to care for Bullen's son, who had been in his custody and care virtually since he was born.